Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Grants

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on car sales of removing zero-emission plug-in hybrid vehicles from the list of vehicles eligible for plug-in grants, including the impact on their vision of almost every car and van being zero emission by 2050.

baroness vere of norbiton: The plug-in car grant was intended to support the early market for low emission vehicles and has so far supported the purchase of around 100,000 plug-in hybrid cars, at a cost of over £360 million.In 2018 the department reviewed the plug-in car grant to focus on zero tail pipe emission vehicles. Since then, overall sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles have increased compared to the same period last year. While the sales of zero emission capable plug-in hybrids have decreased since the grant was reviewed, the sales of the cleanest zero emission vehicles have increased by over 50 per cent over the same period.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 15 March (HL14180), what type, or types, of Government support have been considered to support the Southern Rail Link to Heathrow; and whether the criteria for assessing proposals to deliver the project include a requirement to operate trains on the line.

baroness vere of norbiton: Following the publication of the Market Sounding Findings Report, published in December 2018, which showed that none of the schemes put forward were able to advance without Government support, whether that be direct financial support, or by providing indirect support such as guarantees of future usage, my Department has been working to further develop and clarify the outcomes we want to be delivered from this project and is considering appropriate criteria for assessing commercial and procurement models, including minimum requirements required.

Old Oak Common Station

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the expect the platforms at Old Oak Common station designed to be served by trains operated under the Great Western franchise to be open.

baroness vere of norbiton: The new station at Old Oak Common is being designed to offer connectivity between HS2, the Elizabeth Line and the Great Western Main Line. HS2 Ltd will work with its construction partner, once appointed, to optimise cost and schedule. We will make public a Full Business Case, including an assessment of schedule, later in the year.

Electric Vehicles: Infrastructure

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reports that the UK requires £100 billion of investment in electric vehicle infrastructure by 2030 to meet projected growth in electric vehicles; what are their plans to ensure this level of investment is met; and what proportion will be provided by the (1) public, and (2) private sector.

baroness vere of norbiton: We have not made any specific assessment of the recent report that £100 billion of investment will be required into electric vehicle infrastructure by 2030. We are committed to a cost-effective deployment of an electric vehicle infrastructure network that is affordable, accessible, reliable and secure and want to fairly balance the cost of the investment required between the public and private sector. The Government’s vision is to have one of the best electric vehicle infrastructure networks in the world. We have a wide-ranging package of support available, including grants for chargepoints at homes, workplaces and on-street. Our funding and leadership, alongside private sector investment, has supported the installation of more than 17,000 public chargepoints. This includes over 1,700 rapid chargepoints – one of the largest networks in Europe.

Electric Vehicles

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their target for the number of (1) electric vehicles, (2) electric vehicle charging points, and (3) rapid charging points in the UK by (a) 2020, (b) 2030, (c) 2040, and (d) 2050.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government’s vision is to have one of the best electric vehicle infrastructure networks in the world but has not set targets for the number of chargepoints. We want to encourage and leverage private sector investment to build and operate a self-sustaining public network supported by the right policy framework. In many cases, the market is better-placed than the Government to identify the right locations for chargepoints and it is essential that viable commercial models are in place to ensure continued maintenance and improvements to the network. Highways England has a commitment of £15m to ensure there are chargepoints (rapid where possible) every 20 miles on 95% of the Strategic Road Network by 2020. The Government’s grant schemes to support chargepoint infrastructure at homes, workplaces and residential streets, alongside our £400m public-private Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more chargepoints installed across the UK. The Government is technology neutral, but recognises that the vast majority of vehicle manufacturer plans include plug-in battery powertrains. As set out in the Road to Zero strategy, the Government is also playing a role in supporting the development of the UK’s hydrogen refuelling network.

Electric Vehicles

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation by the Committee on Climate Change that 30to 70per cent of cars in the UK should be electric by 2030; and what is their target for the proportion of cars that will be electric by 2030.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) recommended in its 2018 progress report that the UK should be aiming for 60% new ultra low emission vehicle uptake in 2030. This is consistent, in terms of carbon, with the ambitions set out in the Government’s 2018 Road to Zero strategy of up to 70% of new car sales to be ultra low emission by 2030 alongside up to 40% of new vans. By 2040, we expect the majority of new cars and vans sold to be 100% zero emission and all new cars and vans to have significant zero emission capability. By 2050 we want almost every car and van in the UK to be zero emission. Subsequently, the CCC report, published in May 2019, recommended the UK legislate as soon as possible to meet net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; and that by 2035 at the latest all new cars and vans should be electric (or use a low carbon alternative such as hydrogen). The Government will respond to the CCC’s advice in a timeframe which reflects the urgency of this crucial issue.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when HS2 is (1) built to Birmingham, and (2) completed, what is their estimate of the tonnage of freight that could be diverted from the roads onto the existing south to north railways, over what period of years, and with what effect on air pollution and greenhouse gases.

baroness vere of norbiton: As a new rail line, HS2 will free up train paths on the existing railway which could be used to allow more freight to travel by rail. The freight operating companies will be able to apply for these additional paths in accordance with normal railway industry processes. The freight operators are independent commercial companies and the types of cargo, the tonnages and the routes will depend upon the demand that exists from their customers at that time. Any increase in the number of freight trains that results in a reduction in freight moved by road is likely to lead to a reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gases emissions.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionthey aretaking to support processes that remove hard to recycle waste from the waste stream in order to help deliver low-carbon fuels through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they will take to ensure that the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation supports the sustainable fuels industry.

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the potential for sustainable aviation fuels to decarbonise aviation.

baroness vere of norbiton: Under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), biofuels reported as being made from waste have risen from 12% of total biofuel supply in the first year of the obligation (2008/09) to 66% in 2017/18. Building on that success the Government introduced changes to the RTFO last year which will almost double the use of renewable fuels from 2018 to 2020, and set targets out to 2032 providing industry with long term certainty. In addition, as part of a fifteen year strategy for low carbon fuels the Government extended eligibility for rewards under the RTFO to aviation fuels last year, and is making available up to £20 million of matched capital funding to projects that will produce low carbon waste-based fuels to be used in aeroplanes and lorries through the Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition. The department is also engaging with industry on whether fuels produced from non-biogenic wastes, including those that are difficult to recycle, should be supported under the RTFO. Through the Aviation Strategy the Government will consider policies it can put in place to further assist the long-term uptake of sustainable alternative fuels in this sector.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Social Science: Research

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the readership of Government-funded social science research, outside of universities, in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

lord henley: Available information on the readership of social science research does not distinguish between different categories of reader. However, there are many different ways for research to be disseminated and to have impact wider than academic readership. Over 2000 case studies of the impact from social science research outside academia were submitted to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 Panel C on Social Sciences (around 30% of total impact case studies submitted to the REF). Analysis from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement shows that 52% of those submitted to Panel C included public engagement. Additional analysis by Kings College London and Digital Science (attached) looked at the impact of research on public policy and parliamentary debate, showing that case studies submitted to Panel C were the most likely to evidence political engagement. Between 2012-16, at least 25% of Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded research included collaboration or partnership with at least one partner organisation. ESRC funded research is also highly connected to the public sector with up to 27% of funded research showing policy or practice impacts in 2016. Specific examples of the impact from ESRC’s funded social science research can be found on their website, many of these involve working closely with industry, government, or not-for-profits. We are working with UK Research and Innovation and other key partners to develop a roadmap that sets out how government and industry will work together to reach our target of increasing R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, which would be the highest recorded level, and 3% in the longer-term. The £236m Strength in Places Fund supports areas across the UK to build on their science and innovation strengths and develop stronger local networks. It funds proposals developed by local consortia which demonstrate a strong impact on local growth and productivity. Successful wave 1 bids were announced by UKRI in March 2019, and wave two was launched on 8 May 2019. It is expected that successful bids to this initial stage will be announced during summer 2020.



Initial analysis of REF 2014 impact case studies
(PDF Document, 6.65 MB)

Honda: Swindon

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in their discussions with Honda over the closure of their plant in Swindon, they have raised the possibility of the future use of the site and plant for the large-scale production of electric vehicles; and whether they would consider giving financial support to such a venture.

lord henley: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy met with the Honda Executives in London on 18 February, just ahead of Honda’s initial announcement to close its Swindon plant on 19 February. The Secretary of State has chaired a taskforce consisting of local leaders, MPs and trade unions, to provide support to the workforce and businesses who would be affected by the loss of Honda’s plant in Swindon. Through the taskforce we are determined to work together to ensure that Swindon continues its record of attracting investment from advanced manufacturers, maintaining and creating highly skilled jobs that offer fulfilling careers for many years to come. That will include engaging closely with parties interested in future uses of the site in Swindon owned by Honda. The Government supports the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector via a number of routes. Government has committed £274m to the Faraday Battery Challenge, and circa £80m in the last Budget to the Stephenson Challenge, newly named ‘Driving the Electric Revolution’. Together Government and industry have committed around £1 billion through the Advanced Propulsion Centre to support research, development and commercialisation of the next generation of low carbon technologies, keeping the UK at the cutting edge of low carbon automotive innovations. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation provides R&D support across a range of technology themes including low carbon, materials and manufacturing; and connected and autonomous vehicles.

Iron and Steel: Import Duties

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that a 20per cent World Trade Organizationtariff could have on the UK steel industry, in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord henley: There is no World Trade Organisation tariff on steel – each country sets its own tariff levels as part of being a member of the WTO. The European Union’s most favoured nation (MFN) tariffs for steel, which apply to all third country WTO members without a preferential arrangement, are either zero or very low, and will remain so. In a no deal scenario UK exports to the EU will face the same tariff situation as they currently do, as the EU’s MFN tariffs for most steel products faced by third countries are already bound at zero – meaning that there would be no tariff impact on UK steel exports to the EU. The EU currently also apply safeguard tariffs (at 25%) on steel imports from most third country trade partners, where they fall outside the current tariff rate quotas, to protect the EU steel sector from unforeseen surges in imports. It will be for the EU to decide how these safeguards should apply to the UK in the event of a no-deal exit.

British Steel: Loans

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in extending credit to British Steel,they took into account (1) the management of the borrower, (2) the value for money provided by Greybull Capital in respect of their management charges and other related party transfers, and (3) the use of a capital structure by British Steel that requires interest payments to Greybull parties based offshore.

lord henley: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to him on 10 May 2019 to Question HL15469.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Papua: Travel Restrictions

lord harries of pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, or intend to make, to the newly elected president ofIndonesia, when the result is announced, regarding access to West Papua for journalists and non-governmental organisations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government regularly raises the situation in Papua with the Indonesian authorities and presses them to address the legitimate concerns regarding access. In January 2018, I raised my concern about this issue with the Indonesian ambassador to London, and our officials in Indonesia also raised this when they visited Papua in February this year. The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific acknowledged at a Westminster Hall Debate on 8 May that transparency and media access are important. We continue to encourage Indonesian journalists to write openly and frankly about Papua to ensure that local perspectives are properly heard and are part of any debate, and will do so with the next President and their team when the election results are announced in due course.

Gaza: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the prediction made in the report by the Office of the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Jerusalem, Gaza in 2020: A Liveable Place?, published in 2012, that Gaza would be unfit for human inhabitancy by 2020.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza and the report in question’s prediction that Gaza could become uninhabitable by 2020. UK aid has supported economic development, provision of basic services, and enabled reconstruction through support to the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism. The Minister of State for the Middle East (the Rt Hon Andrew Murrison) visited Gaza on 28 May 2019 and saw the extent of this first hand.However, as the report makes clear, aid alone cannot solve the problems in Gaza. Improvements in infrastructure, employment, energy and water are essential to improve living conditions. The Government will continue to urge all the parties to take the necessary practical steps to improve conditions. We will continue to press for a sustainable political solution for Gaza and to address the underlying cause of humanitarian strife in Gaza by more than doubling the amount of UK aid spent on economic development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to around £38 million over the next five years (2018-2023). This will include support to addressing the water and electricity crisis and seek to address movement and access restrictions.

Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to secure access by independent monitors to all political detainees currently held without charge in Saudi Arabia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is very concerned about allegations of mistreatment of those detained in Saudi Arabia because of their political views. We continue to monitor these cases. We consistently and unreservedly condemn torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to challenge it wherever and whenever it occurs. We have raised concerns about these cases at Ministerial level a number of times with the Saudi authorities and will continue to do so. We also regularly raise concerns using diplomatic channels of communication, including our Ambassador. Saudi Arabia maintains that the issue of detentions is an internal judicial matter. The British Government cannot intervene in independent monitoring or investigation.

Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to obtain proof of life for all political detainees held in Saudi Arabia, including Prince Turki bin Abdullah.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is very concerned about allegations of mistreatment of those detained in Saudi Arabia because of their political views. While we have not requested this information from the Saudi authorities, we continue to monitor the case of Prince Turki bin Abdullah.

Palestinians: Recognition of States

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use to judge when the recognition of the state of Palestine would be appropriate.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement, the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. The UK is strongly committed to a two-state solution as the best way to bring about stability and peace in the region.

Department for International Development

World Health Organisation: Finance

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they contribute financially, annually, to the World Health Organisation.

baroness sugg: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is critical to UK international development and global health security objectives. The UK is WHO’s third largest funder and a key advocate for continued WHO reform and impact at country level. The UK’s annual contribution to the World Health Organisation averages at £100 million.

Pakistan: Human Trafficking

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their assessment in the Department for International Development's Pakistan Report 2018 that there is a "significant modern slavery problem amongst the poor, minorities, women and children" in Pakistan and their policy to provide assistance to "target the poorest and most vulnerable", what steps they are taking to provide direct support to Christian women reportedly being trafficked to China as brides.

baroness sugg: The UK Government’s approach to tackling modern slavery and trafficking in Pakistan is to reduce the permissive environment through community-based activities, and to strengthen the legislative framework for more effective prevention and control. Our programmes do not directly target specific sub groups of marginalised people eg; Christian women, but we do target marginalised communities from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds, including Christian women who are at risk of this terrible practice.

Pakistan: Human Trafficking

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of a rise in number of Pakistani Christian girls being targeted by traffickers for exploitation in China, what assessment they have made of how the AAWAZ II Programme is (1) working effectively to minimise this trafficking stream, especially within the Punjab region, and(2) measuring its efficacy in reducing the prevalence of such trafficking within this targeted population group.

baroness sugg: The AAWAZ II Programme will address a range of modern slavery issues, including child labour and forced and early marriage. An assessment of the programme’s effectiveness in addressing modern slavery has not yet been carried out as a range of activities are still under design. Once all baselines have been established the programme will be tracking progress through annual reviews and its monitoring and evaluation framework.

Gambia: Overseas Aid

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much Official Development Assistance (ODA) is spent in The Gambia; and how that ODA is spent in that country.

baroness sugg: In 2017 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), The Gambia received £41.3 million from the UK aid budget, including £15.5 million of bilateral assistance and £25.8 million of UK attributed multilateral aid. The greatest focus of bilateral spending was on the health sector, with the largest share (£14m) spent through the Medical Research Council’s research facility in the country.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Finance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have touse funds made available from the UK’s contributions to EU defence spending to facilitate an increase in UK defence spending after Brexit.

earl howe: The first duty of any Government is the safety and security of the British people at home and abroad. That is why we have committed to spending at least 2% of our GDP on Defence every year of this Parliament. We prioritise our Defence spending to ensure the British people and UK interests are protected. This includes making contributions to support and uphold our international relationships with key partners. As set out in the Political Declaration on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the Government has offered to cooperate closely on defence and security, as part of an ambitious security partnership, on a case-by-case basis, where of mutual benefit.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants for Universal Credit have made their application by means other than the online application system since its introduction; and what are the available methods for doing so.

baroness buscombe: The Universal Credit Full Service Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claimants claimed online. For those claimants who are unable to access or use our digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. Face-to-face support is also available in Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim. Furthermore, the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim and receive their first full correct payment on time. It is available online, over the phone and face to face through local Citizens Advice services across Great Britain.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cats: Pet Travel Scheme

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that cats and kittens brought into the UK under the pet passport scheme do not carry diseases and parasites, including tapeworm and non-UK types of tick.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is committed to preserving the UK’s high standards of biosecurity and animal welfare. The EU Pet Travel Scheme requires all pets travelling to Great Britain on approved routes to be declared. 100% of these are then subject to documentary and identity checks. Documentary checks for cats include a passport, signed by an Official Veterinarian in the country of origin, certifying that the cat has been vaccinated against rabies.Since 2012, when the UK harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme, we have no longer required tick or tapeworm treatment for cats or kittens. Risk assessments have been undertaken, both before harmonisation and since, which supported the removal of these requirements. As such, we have no plans to change the import requirements for pet cats. However, we continue to monitor the disease situation and will undertake a further formal risk assessment if evidence indicates that one is warranted.

Smuggling: Cats

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what border checks are carried out to ensure that cats and kittens are not smuggled illegally into the UK from EU countries.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is committed to preserving the UK’s high standards of biosecurity and animal welfare. The EU Pet Travel Scheme requires all pets travelling to Great Britain on approved routes to be declared. 100% of these are then subject to documentary and identity checks. All commercial EU consignments of dogs or cats receive documentary checks on entry and the Animal and Plant Health Agency conducts further risk based checks away from the border. We have increased resourcing at major UK ports to detect smuggled animals and continue to work collaboratively with Border Force, sharing intelligence in order to disrupt illegal imports.On 13 May this year a statutory instrument[1] was laid in Parliament which will introduce a ban on commercial third party sales of puppies and kittens in England. This decision followed a public consultation which received over 6,500 responses, 96% of which supported the proposal. The ban itself is planned to come into force on 6 April 2020 and, once in place, anyone seeking to buy or adopt a kitten will have to deal directly with the breeder or with one of the UK’s many animal rehoming centres. Restricting the sale of kittens to licensed breeders has the potential to help deter people motivated to illegally import kittens for the purpose of financial gain.[1] The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019



Draft Statutory Instrument 
(PDF Document, 33.31 KB)

Home Office

Biometrics

lord evans of weardale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by San Francisco to ban the use of facial recognition technology by local agencies due to its alleged unreliability.

baroness williams of trafford: It is right to debate the use of new technologies in democratic societies. It is clearly a decision for the San Francisco City Board of Supervisors whether its agencies should use facial recognition technology.Facial recognition has the potential to play an important role in the detection and prevention of crime, and the police here have commissioned independent reviews of its effectiveness.Facial recognition is a fast evolving area of technology with the potential to streamline identity verification and authentication processes across Government and the private sector. When used in the appropriate setting and context, it has proved to be a very reliable and accurate tool. Its performance is dependent on a number of variables, from the quality of the images, environmental factors, the specific algorithm used, the thresholds or risk profile applied and many other factors. Possible matches produced by live facial recognition systems are always checked by a human operator before deciding what, if any, action to take.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Press Freedom

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Reporters Without Borders 2019 World Press Freedom Index; and the UK’s position at 33 in that index.

lord ashton of hyde: We welcome the improvement in the UK’s ranking, but are disappointed that our position is not higher. The UK press is among the most respected and free in the world. The government recognises press freedom is fundamental to a healthy democracy and strongly supports it, including committing to repeal s40; publishing a world leading independent review on the sustainability of high quality journalism by Dame Cairncross; and launching a Global Media Freedoms campaign.

Cybercrime

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with the digital communications sector to help companies improve their cyber security measures.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect UK critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations. Its vision is to help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online.The NCSC provides a single point of contact for private and public sector organisations for all matters relating to cyber security, including digital communication companies.

Gambia: Tourism

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist the development of the tourism sector in The Gambia.

lord ashton of hyde: The then Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, Michael Ellis MP, had a useful bilateral meeting with his Gambian counterpart, Minister Hamat Bah, in the margins of a meeting of Commonwealth Ministers during the Edinburgh International Culture Summit last summer. They discussed a range of matters concerning the importance of tourism to the economy and future prosperity of The Gambia, and to the wider Commonwealth. The Government remains willing to explore all avenues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including with the Commonwealth institutions and UNESCO, to support the development of sustainable tourism in The Gambia, and more widely across Africa.I welcome the Noble Lord’s recent meeting with President Barrow, and the efforts of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to strengthen democratic institutions in The Gambia and across the Commonwealth.

Social Media: Regulation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of social media regulators in keeping up with innovation in large technology companies.

lord ashton of hyde: Through the Digital Charter, the Government is focused on making the internet work for everyone - for citizens, businesses and society as a whole. The introduction of the new Data Protection Act, the Online Harms White Paper and the establishment of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation are important steps to ensure we have innovation-friendly regulation that encourages the tech sector and provides stability for businesses. Through this work we will protect citizens, increase public trust in new technologies, and create the best possible basis on which the digital economy and society can thrive.

Arts

baroness blackstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the growth of (1) the creative industries, and (2) the design sector, relative to the UK economy as a whole across the last decade.

lord ashton of hyde: DCMS have published figures setting out the growth of the creative industries in relation to the rest of the economy for the period 2010 - 2017. These are available on the government website (2017 - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dcms-sectors-economic-estimates-2017-gva).In 2017 the gross value added (GVA) of the creative industries was £101.5 billion, up from £66.3 billion in 2010. This represents a 53.1% increase, compared to the 29.7% increase in the rest of the economy over the same period. When viewed as a percentage of the UK’s entire GVA, the creative industries now make up 5.5% of the UK’s total GVA, a 53.1% increase since 2010.DCMS measure the design sector under the broader category of "design and designer fashion". In 2017 these sectors contributed £3.95 billion to the economy, up from £1.97 billion in 2010. This represents a 100.6% increase and in 2017 these sectors contributed 0.2% of the UK’s GVA.



DCMS Sectors 2017
(PDF Document, 842.99 KB)

Arts

baroness blackstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Creative Industries Sector Deal to date.

lord ashton of hyde: The Creative Industries Sector Deal, published in March 2018, announced a £150m package of measures to encourage growth across the lifecycle of the creative industries, delivered in partnership between government and industry through the Creative Industries Council.Evaluation measures have been established to monitor progress and assess the full economic impact when the multiple programmes that make up the Sector Deal move from delivery to completion.Although implementation is still in the early stages, the Sector Deal is progressing well with the successful commencement of the main commitments. This includes the launch of the £80m Creative Industries Clusters Programme, including nine Research and Development partnerships led by universities across the UK, the £20m Cultural Development Fund supporting five creative clusters, the £14m Creative Careers Programme raising awareness of careers across the creative industries, the £4m Creative Scale-Up investment readiness programme aimed at increasing the investability of scaling creative industries businesses, and £16m for four Audience of the Future immersive technology demonstrator projects.Projects are progressing to different timescales over the coming 2-3 years. We expect a clearer picture of impact to emerge as implementation continues and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms begin to report.